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I'm very excited to be welcoming the ScrapMatters designers to The Digi Files this month. It's been several months since Amber took over ScrapMatters and I have loved seeing everything she and the designers have done. They have been busy sprucing up the site, making changes, and adding designers, and creating like crazy! I LOVE the collection they put together for us this month (those bright colors and kraft!!) and our team really had a lot of fun creating with it! Let’s take a closer look at "Life.Every.Day." that is included in The Digi Files this month:

This is ONE of SEVEN collections you get when you become a member of The Digi Game this month. You also get an interactive Playbook (in PDF and iBooks formats) that has lots of ideas for using the supplies including techniques, tips, and tricks! All of that, including access to exclusive collaborations every four months you are a member, for only $7.50 total per month! Here are some layouts created using ScrapMatters’ contribution:

Layout by Kimberly M. Supplies: Life.Every.Day. by ScrapMatters.

ScrapMatters opened in August of 2007 under the leadership of Andrea Nye as a place where people could come together to celebrate their memories and scrap what matters most to them. One of our signature standouts in the digi community is our incredibly friendly, supportive and sincere community. Our gallery is full of meaningful and thoughtful comments led by our ScrapMatters Girls (praise team) some of whom leave 400+ personalized and unique comments each month! In July of 2012, Amber LaBau purchased the site from Andrea and has worked to move the original vision forward by continuing to offer products in a variety of styles by some of the most talented designers in the industry, as well as a maintaining a welcoming and supportive forum to meet and converse with each other. We are a family of scrapbookers and designers who love what we do and love each other.
Something I (Amber) never received as a new designer was any sort of critique on my work. It wasn’t until very recently that I took the opportunity to ask someone’s objective opinion, and in taking that person’s comments to heart. My designs have improved and I’ve challenged myself to learn and grow even more than I otherwise would. It’s so easy to become wrapped up in the excitement of designing, because it IS so exciting. Be sure to take a step back, though, and critically look at your work. Find areas that could use some improvement - be it color choices, quality, even the way your kits are previewed - and challenge yourself to do just a little better and grow just a little more. Even the most experienced designers have areas to improve upon, and the beauty of this industry is that there is always something new to learn or some new technique to try. Also, before you approach any stores, make sure you have a nice portfolio of work to show. As a store owner it’s hard to base a decision off of a single sample kit, because who’s to say if it was a fluke - for good or bad - and that the next three kits won’t provide the same quality of work? Finally, don’t let rejection get the better of you. We’ve all gone through it at one time or another, but by choosing to use those experiences as learning moments, we are better for it. Designing is an art that can’t be done without heart, so use that passion to get back on your feet and keep at it. One day, the right door will open, and you won’t be able to imagine things any other way.
This was a kit our team created as part of the Queen of Scrap contest in March of last year. KimB put together the color palette for us, and since I’ve always loved blues and greens I was immediately taken with it. The kit was created as a way for scrappers to document the difficult times in their lives, so there are some really beautiful elements just perfect for that. I think it’s also a really neutral and versatile kit that can be used for all kinds of pages, so it’s great for making your scrapping dollar go farther.
Queen of Scrap is by far our most popular kit. It was another that was created for a Queen of Scrap contest. I think it really speaks to scrappers’ desire to scrap about their favorite hobby.. ;) It has elements that are appropriate for digital scrapping, paper crafting or card-making. A really popular style of layouts we’ve seen with it are those that showcase all the layouts created in a month/year/etc. It’s also pretty huge - 30+ papers, 130+ elements, 3 alphas - so it’s super versatile, as well.
Here are some of my favorite products by ScrapMatters:

Here are some more inspirational layouts using ScrapMatters’ products. All of the layouts are linked to the originals with credits.
Save 30% off storewide at ScrapMatters with code SM-30off4TDD. (Expires: Jan. 31, 2013. Not valid on Sweet Deals, Grab Bags, Bundles, Commercial Use, Merchandise, Classes or Custom Services.)Go have a look at ScrapMatters! We will randomly select a winner from the comments to win $10.00 in product from the store! (Comments must be posted before midnight EST to qualify)!